Improvement in egg-boxes



J. H. CASS &. C. H. LARRABEE.

EGG-BOX.

l a.tented Sep t.12,1876.

J1\TITED STA'I'ES PATENT OFFICE JOHN H. OASS, OB BOSTON, AND CHARLES H. LARRABEE, CF SOMERVILLE,

i MASSAOHUSETTS U 1 IMPROVENIENT IN EGG-BOXES.

- Specification'forming part of Letters Patent N0. 182,165, dated September 12 1876; application filed July 17,1876.

T0 all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. CASS, 0f Boston, Massachusetts, and CHARLES H.LARRA- BEE, of Soxnerville, Massaehusetts, harre invented eertain Improvemeuts in Egg-Oarrying Gases, an l tbat the same are fully described and Set forth in the following speeifieation aud accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to that dass 0f eggearriers in which a separate comp'artment is provided for eaeh egg; and its object is 130 provide simpler, strenger, and sweeter cells, 0f an improved Construction and material.

Our invention consists in a series 0f eells 0r eompartments, oonstructed of thin Sheets 0r strips 0f wood, and formed, as t0 their sides by bendin g the strips at right an gles as shown, and securing to eaeh other the-adjacent bent strips, at their angles, by elasps er laeing. A detached sheet 0r diaphragm of the samematerial formsthe t0p of one series of compartrhents and the bottom 0f the series next above it.

The material eommonlyemployed heretofore in the censtruction of eggcarriers is pasteb0ard, in strips, placed 011 edge, ab right an-;

gles to eac'n other, and at their points ofjuue tion eaeh eut half aeross, so as to interloek. The paper naturally absorbs moisture, and is injuriously afleeted thereby. If exposed toa storm, aud saturated, the partitions are ruined, or if an egg is aceidentally broken the smeared arts caunot.be eleansed by washing without softening and spoiling them. Again, the method ofjoining the strips to form the cells, by autting gashes half across eaeh one at frequent in tervals, seriously weakens them, and leaves one edge of eaeh strip unfitted to bear any weight.

By our improvements a material naturally sweet and streng, and eapable of being repeatedly washed without injury, is employed and sinee thestrips are not gashed to interlock, but bent so as to ahnt at the ir angles, and claspe'd at each edge, great firmness and durability are attained. Greatereeonomy of space also results from 0ur construction, since there is no waste-room, as in other styles, be-

tween the box and the outer row of cells, due

In the drawings, Figure lis a perspe'ctive view of a ease embodying our inventien, the freut broken away t0 Show the constrnetion; Fig. 2 Shows, in perspect-i-ve, the bent strips ready tobe joined.- Fig. 3 is an enlarged-view of a eoxnpartment, showing the various clasps thin material 0 and onefourth in6hes wide,

and of suit le length, and bend them at right an gles, fiernately t0 right and left, soas to give 130 th trips a general direetion diagonal 130 ides of the b0z; A. Previous steanming 0f t e strips faeilitates the bending, and, t0 insure a square fold, we .prefer t0 remove with a sharp tool a portion of the wood where the fold is to be made, so that the shoulders thns formed may ahnt when folded, and somewhat stiffen the fabric. 'lhe strips thus bent are placed on edge, side by side, upon a table er former adapted. t0 hold them in position, their angles meeting, asshown in the drawing; and at each 0f these points of junction the tw0 adjacent strips are united by a clasp at t0p and bottoxn; A sufficient number 0f these bunt strips are .a-ttaehed to each other to form a web of square 0r other suitable reetangular form, adapted to receive a given numli)er 0f eggs, und a loose sheet e, 0f the thin whitewood, eovering the web completes the cells of that tier.

With this oonstruction there is no waste of material, since the shorter strips are adapted. forthe corners, where the number of cells is lass. Nor is there any waste 0f spaee in the box, the sizeof whieh is just sufficient in length and breadth t0 receive freel y a web eontaining a given number of the cells, without requiring a margin, an 1 0f depth proportional t0 the less the thickness of the partition, and two and one-fourth inches 'deep, 01 eight webs,

.each containing in its compartments twelve dozen eggs.

Theclasps shown in Figs.3 and 4 are formed, preferably, of tin, cut by dies to ehe shapes required, and variouslybent, accordin g tothe position in which they are t0 be used. 'lhe claSp b. is f0r the eorn6 r of a web, where the ends of two strips are joined but four 0f this kind are needed with one web. 'Ihe clasp 0 is for the interior f the web, where the angles 0f' tbe several strips meet. The clasp d is for th'e outer border 0f the web, wh ere be end of o'ne strip is joined t0 the angle 0f another one. Euch pf tbe clasps has its extreme point-s turned inward, so as t0 penetrate the wooden strip and take firm hold thereof when it is closed thereon by preSsure. Thus a lange web joined attheir angles by the clasps, which serve an important purpose in stiffening the fabric ab thejoints, and preserving tbe rectangular character 0f the eompartments. In very small cases, where stifiness is n0t so important, the bent strips may, if preferred, be laced together ab the angles With wire 01 other material.

We claim as 0f 0m invention l. The case A, subdivided into compartments by the partitions a, formed 0f W00(1 veneers, bent ab right angles, as described, and. united at tbe angles only, by clasps, and without lap, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination wilz h the partitions a the clasps b c d, constructed and operating substanbially as setforth;

JOHN H. GASS. CHARLES H. LARRABEE.

Witness6s:

A. E[ SPENGER, E. A..PHELPS. 

